


"Monster" Hunting

by Perfect_Ghost



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: Drinking, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 22:50:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10559020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perfect_Ghost/pseuds/Perfect_Ghost
Summary: "Gaze not into the abyss, lest the abyss gaze back. Likewise he who fights monsters should be careful not to become a monster" -Nietzsche





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was a writing challenge I set myself to work on character voice. Let me know if something doesn't come out right.

A man in a long red shirt is sitting outside the Nine Shrines Bar polishing his brand-new glaive. A shadow is cast over the glaive and he looks up. A stranger is standing on the grass before him. "Hello! Who are you?" the man cheerily asks. "I'm like you, but a different brand." the stranger says edging their shirt down enough to show part of a brand mark. "Has anyone used your focal point?” "My what?" "Your trail mix then, has anyone eaten your trail mix?" asks the stranger annoyance clear on her face. "Well Kyr definitely-". "And I would find him where, exactly?" "Oh! He’s in the bar." As the man gestures to the building behind him.

"OK, you wait here." the stranger cuts him off and heads into the bar, wandering up to the counter which seems to be packed with people. The stranger finds a clear place and when she catches the female bartenders attention says, " two bottles of your strongest stuff.". The bartender passes two bottles of Keer over the counter before turning back to the other patrons. The stranger simply turns around, seeing the bar is more firmly packed than the counter was and yells "Is there a Kyr here?"

The bar quiets down completely and four people at a table turn around. A gruff man in a white shirt drawls "Yeah, who's asking?" Ignoring him, the stranger asks "Are you friends with the Outrider?” The blonde man pipes up "Everyone here is a friend of Gregor’s-" "And Kyr?" asks the stranger. The blonde man looks taken aback, "No that would be just us.” The big man in the black cloak looks slightly crestfallen. "Good. I need you four to come with me." Directs the stranger. “What's this all about?" asks the girl with white hair. "It's very important." says the stranger briskly. The five head outside to see the man in red looking very confused "Outrider, you're coming too." "All right" says the Outrider cautiously. "Where are we going?" the girl with white hair asks more pointedly "Not far" the stranger cryptically replies.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations and changes. It's all quite intense.

The small group make their way to an abandoned house, "Come on then, inside." the stranger’s tone brooks no argument. The white-haired girl and the man in the white shirt exchange a very pointed look and put their hands on their weapons. "Come on, I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to know some things." As the man in the white shirt opens his mouth the stranger adds "some very private things.” The group is ushered inside. The stranger is the last in, closes the door and sits down on a box, cracking open a bottle of Keer.  
"Alright Outrider, what have you done?" the stranger askes angrily. "What do you mean?" the Outrider looks back blankly. "Did they not warn you about sharing your focal point?" the stranger near desperation inquires. "Well, they were a bit weird about sharing food, but I left it behind when I was the only one left.” "And the warnings about what you are? They didn't warn you about what you are?" asked the stranger "They did say something like we're the real monsters, but I thought it was philosophy and that they meant all humans." The Outrider replied. The stranger plunks back on the box putting her head in her hands and groans "They sent me a dense one. Of course, they sent me a dense one.". While the stranger is taking a mouthful, the blonde haired one finds the courage to ask "What do you mean what Gregor is?". "Oh tiefling, you've been running around with a very dangerous creature." Says the stranger taking another swig and the first bottle of Keer is half gone. "You're going to need to sit down Outrider.”

The group runs around gathering chairs while the stranger keeps drinking and muttering "They sent me a dense one". "Got all of them!" the large man announces proudly, the stranger stops trying to drain the first bottle of Keer of its last drop and looks over. Everyone is seated around her. "Outrider, they may have been cryptic, but they were telling you the truth." *Sigh* "You. Are. A. Monster. Our governments created us, then killed us off when we were no longer useful. You and I, Outrider, are a very dangerous breed.”

Everyone sits in stunned silence until the Outrider mutters "But, but I can't be a monster." He says the word monster with almost a pained whine.

The second bottle of Keer is open and half gone as well. "You can and you are. Did you never wonder about your strange friendships or how you resisted getting cursed? Did a creature of the dark never once acknowledge you as one of its own?" questioned the stranger. Everyone is silent as they ponder the weird events around the Outrider, finding every word to be true. 

“But what about the time in Yeoval? I got cursed then!" the Outrider pipes up hopefully waiving an owl feather around. The stranger sighs and drinks again "By an ancient powerful force or a more modern magic user?” she askes. “Why should it matter?” asked the Guardian. “Because newer magic has less effect on older, and as the Outrider and I are from a very old branch of magic nearing on millennia. anything newer has little to no effect on us.” The stranger answered. “That explains Vern.” muttered the tiefling as the Outrider wilted. As the finale stranger finishes the second bottle of Keer the man in the white shirt drawls "You said he was dangerous. How dangerous exactly?” "Thog’s right," the blonde haired one responds, "like if he only gets spikes or claws and stays the same size we can look after him, can't we?" The tiefling looks around for confirmation, the big man and the guardian nod vigorously. The stranger stops trying to get the last drop out of the second bottle of Keer, stands up, sighing, and says "Is there a large clearing around here, away from people?"

The group wanders down the road toward a place where the white haired one directs them to. The stranger in front muttering about idiots and strange friendships when she suddenly stops, looking around wildly. "Oh no" she mutters. The rest of the group looking worriedly at her. "Oh no, oh no, oh no." "What’s wrong?" the white haired one asks. "You're staying back!" the stranger near yells and pulls out a small sword, "I haven't found out what you are!" "What do you mean?" the white haired one asks again even more agitated "Well I know what he is," pointing at the Outrider "and it’s pretty obvious what he is," pointing at the corrupted one "but I don't know what you three are." The stranger holds a defensive stance.  
"Ok, this is weird" mumbles the man in the white shirt. The stranger rounds on him, and barks “Did you run with a large group of people? When you were younger I mean?" “Yeah, I ran with a street gang, so what?" the man in the white shirt responded "Did they mark you in anyway? Some sort of ceremony of induction? A symbolic cut, tattoo, anything?" the stranger questioned "I wasn't in a corporation, no" replied the man "Ok you're fine" the stranger turns to the white-haired girl "How about you? You have those bindings, did you run with a crowd when you were younger?" "No, everyone stayed pretty much separate knowing I was the guardian." She replied "Ok, that just leaves you, tiefling.” The tiefling looks kind of worried, "I did run with a group of kids before wizard high school, yeah." "Did they mark you? Now is not the time for lies, tiefling!" Slightly taken aback he mutters even lower "Yeah, there's a mark between my wings." The stranger puts the sword away, everyone visibly relaxes and looks at the blonde one. The stranger simply snaps "Tiefling! In front. Now! And no tricks." Everyone exchanges glances as the stranger unsheathes her weapon again, "We're going. Now!" To emphasize the point the stranger lightly jabs the tiefling in the back. He yelps.

The group reaches the clearing with minimal damage to the tiefling. The stranger starts barking orders again. "Outrider, stand in the center of the clearing, businessman cover the corrupted ears, guardian keep the tiefling from changing." "How?" askes the guardian. "Hold him like you would any other hostage." "Sorry, Markus" the guardian whispers to the tiefling. The stranger starts rifling through her bag "I know I had that paper here somewhere...Ah here you are!" The stranger stands still slightly hunched, reading the paper "He uses this weapon, has this as a focal point and was this old...that means his word is" the stranger stands straight up and yells a three-syllable word that doesn't sound like a word at all. All at once the Outrider changes into a massive shadow creature that looks like a cross between the creature in the prison of lights and a cat with one exception, the arm used to hold his glaive gains a very sharp edge. 

The group stares in shock at the beast that is standing where the Outrider stood. The stranger almost too calmly simply turns over the paper and yelled another word. The beast starts to glow with a golden light along every single ridge and gain cracks. After what seems like an eternity to the watchers, but was closer to a minute, the Outrider was back to his normal form and seated on the grass. The stranger simply leans over and asks nonchalantly "So what do you remember about that?". The Outrider looking up, confused, answers, "Everyone looked weird and I had an endless bag of trail mix," "Mm-hmm and how big were you?" questions the stranger. "As big as I am now?” answers the Outrider. The stranger stands up and addresses the group "And that's the problem. Businessman trade you." the stranger says picking up and shoving the Outrider in the Businessman’s direction. Glancing up at the corrupted she says, "This is going to be painful, but they need to understand what they've done". Once the man in the white shirt has a firm grip over the Outriders ears the stranger yells a two-syllable word and the corrupted changes. It's not as graceful and certainly does not look as painless, as the three forms fight with each other. The beast looks similar to the Outriders except instead of just warlord and cat there is now distinctly a mans form intermingling. The sword arm is that of the blade on the large mans back and the cry is just the sound of him screaming.

The stranger motions to the man in the white shirt to take his hands away from the Outriders’ ears, to which he reluctantly does. A look of the greatest cutting pain comes over the Outriders’ face and he adds a crying scream to the corrupteds’. The stranger yells an almost one syllable sounding word and the corrupteds’ scream is cut off as a less than pleasant yellowish green tint comes over the edges of the beast. When all is calm again the stranger walks over and bends down to the corrupted asking the same questions, "What do you remember about that?" the stranger questions "So many colors and I didn't want to eat the trail mix but I couldn't stop" the big man responds visibly shaken. "And how big were you?" the stranger askes. "I don't know? I don't know." he wails. The Outrider is still kneeling on the grass next to the man in the white shirt and quietly sobs the words, "I'm sorry Kyr, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know! I didn't know." "Well that solves one problem" says the stranger turning to the sobbing Outrider and dusting off her hands. "I would’ve been mad if you wanted that to happen.” The two magical folks just stare open mouthed at the stranger. Noticing the pair staring at her she says, "I can fix him," gesturing to the shaking corrupted then gaining a very disturbing grin, "but first, do you want to see what a tiefling’s like?"

It takes more time to settle the clearing down, but eventually the tiefling is standing in the center and the stranger has a different piece of paper in her hand. "Just a few questions," the business tone returns to her voice. "The more truthful, the less painful." she cajoles. The tiefling looks worried at that. "How old were you when you ran with this group?" "I was five" the tiefling says confused, obviously not expecting the question. The stranger looks askance "They usually don't take them that young." she whispers. "Mm-hmm" clearing her throat she continues, "And your magic mostly fire or eldritch?" "Eldritch, of course." the tiefling says with a showy grin that fades as he looks at the strangers’ face. "Mess with any strange altering spells, iconoclasm, the like?" the stranger continues questioning. "I became iconoclasm!" the tiefling boasts. "That would explain why they gave me the second half." the stranger mutters to herself. "Now, your focal point?" "I just concentrate." the tiefling says looking rather bored, the stranger herself gains a small frown.

"Is your magic more likely to come from your horns, your tail or somewhere else?" "My hands" the tiefling says curtly. "May I see them?" the stranger responds in kind. The tiefling holds out his hands obligingly. The stranger takes them in hers and examines them, muttering to herself "Not extra long, no extra digits, no claws, Why's it so special?". The stranger looks up into the tieflings face with a look that makes him feel like a butterfly pinned to a collectors’ board. "Were you double jointed?" "My entire hand" he squeaks "You've been healed, haven't you?" the stranger says with an edge of malice in her voice. "Yes." the tiefling squeaks again. "By whom?" questions the stranger. "Ashe" the white-haired girl looks up as she hears her name squeaked by the tiefling. "What is it, Markus?” suddenly noticing the tiefling looking very afraid, "What's wrong?". The stranger whirls around keeping a hand on the tieflings wrist "Your healing.” Condemned the stranger. The white-haired girl walks over, "Yeah, what about it?” "When you heal is it based on an image in your mind or do you instinctively notice the way everything’s supposed to come back together?” questioned the stranger. "An image, why?”asked the Guardian. The stranger turning back to the tiefling and murmurs quite saccharinely sweet, "Tiefling dear, you got caught in another web of yours. Hiding who you are in a vain attempt to avoid this." “What? Markus?” at the questions from the white-haired girl the tiefling looks down sadly. "I ju-, I just, I'm sorry Ashe, I didn't mean to get you caught up in all this, but when you healed my back I saw a chance to hide from the people who want to do that." he gestures to the two crying boys at the businessman’s knees. The man in the white shirt looks extremely out of his element.

"Then if you knew what would happen, why didn't you just tell us?” the guardian asked. "It never occurred to me that Gregor could be one, and anyway I left when I was a teenager so I never learned to undo that," the tiefling gestures to the corrupted again. "When I saw the brand on Gregor’s chest I figured we could just wait until we found someone who could help us out.". "Oh tiefling, were you never able to find the Outrider over long distances?" the stranger asks sadly. "Several times, in fact just recently in Onhorant, I just thought I was going to the most likely place was all." the tiefling finishes lamely. "And yet, when I left the group, you couldn’t even find me in the city, that didn't tip you off?" asked the Guardian. "You said you wanted to be left alone, and I did find you after a while!" replied the tiefling. "Not helping your case!" yelled the Guardian. "ANYWAY, if you would care to wander back to the businessman I can get on with this" the stranger says pointedly gesturing to the tiefling. The guardian wanders back to the man in the white shirt. "Ok, so that and that and remember iconoclasm and here we go!" said the stranger.

If the previous words had been in any language the closest would be Latin, this would have to have approximated Gaelic. The tiefling grew and what could only be described as a hell-beast replaced him much the same way the other beasts replaced the Outrider and corrupted respectively. Darker than the other two, with horns and other devilishly appropriate things the tiefling morphed. The stranger seemed a bit shocked by the sheer enormity of the beast, so when it turned to look at the group she could be forgiven for being a little flustered.

"Turn him back! Turn him back!" yelled the guardian. "Ah, uh, give me a minute!" the stranger yelled back hastily turning over the page. She yelled a word that under normal circumstances would have said to be backwards and waited. "Why isn't he changing?" yelled the guardian worriedly, hand on her short sword. The stranger looked worried too and wailed "I forgot iconoclasm!” The beast lunged and before it could land on the guardian the stranger shouted a distinctly more Gaelic sounding word. The beast shrank until there was only the tiefling leaning forward at an awkward angle, "Alright Kyr, let’s get you fixed up.” The stranger said brightly turning to the big man as the tiefling fell on his face with a gentle thump.

With the corrupted back in the center of the clearing and the stranger running a little machine over him, the corrupted can't help but be curious and asked. "What's that for?" "Oh, this?" she says holding up the machine. "It tells me where the worst of the corruption is and where to put my hand to stop it.” "Can I see?" the corrupted asks eagerly. "You can look but you can't touch." the stranger warns turning the machine around to show the last thing it scanned. "See, this is an outline of you, and this green spot in your stomach is where the corruption is. By the way how much trail mix did you eat?" the stranger stops her explanation to quizzically look at the corrupted. "A lot," he says looking crestfallen, "What's the red dot with the writing?" the corrupted asks perking back up. "Oh that?” the stranger explains. “The red dot says where I need to put my hand and the writing says which finger or in this case." The stranger stops, considering the writing "thumb, I have to do it with. Each finger has a different incantation to go with it so no two cleansings are ever truly the same.”

“I have to heal you now, ok?" "Ok, what do I have to do?" asked the corrupted. "Just stand as straight as you can and try to stay calm. The process will go a lot quicker that way." Advised the stranger. “Cool." the corrupted says standing straighter than even the guardian has ever seen him. He towers over the stranger "You'll be ok in a little bit." she says placing her thumb on his sternum, waiting in case someone wants to interrupt. When all is quiet she mutters an incantation, and removes her thumb. The corrupted, now, the boy falls to the ground in the fetal position, shaking. "What did you do to him?" the guardian yells running over and bending over the boy. "I fixed him." the stranger says nonchalantly then suddenly stiffening, "Don't heal him. There isn't anything there to heal." she says in a very dangerous voice. In a pleasanter tone, she continues "If you want to get him out of the night air and into bed he should be fine in a day or two.”

Rounding on the Outrider, the strangers venom returns "How many people have eaten your trail mix and are all of them on this archipelago?” "I don't, what?” the Outrider looks up confused and scared. The white-haired girl walks over bending down to the Outrider and asks him softly, "Its ok Gregor, she'll fix them too. Right now, she needs to know how many people she needs to fix.” The stranger nods curtly, the tears returning to his eyes and a tremble in his voice, "I gave some to everybody in the Markus Velafi's conga line for peace.” "Oh, Gregor you didn't." the guardian moans.

The bar quiets down when the group walk in. The boy slung between the Outrider, the tiefling and the man in the white shirt. "If anyone has eaten of the Outriders’ trail mix you need to come see me. You are in grave danger" the stranger announces to the bar. then turns making eye contact with the female barkeep, "I'd like another two bottles of whatever you gave me earlier.", the stranger sighs exhausted. The stranger takes a seat and opens a bottle muttering "They sent me here because there was supposed to be less magic." *Drink* "Boy were they wrong." *Sip* "He's a good kid." *Drink* "Bit big to be a child." *Sip* The stranger looks forlornly into the bottle for the last drop, placing the empty bottle on the table and opening the next one. "That guardian seemed a little taken aback by my knowing who she is." *Drink* "Hell, they all seemed taken aback." *Sip* "This is definitely the last one." *Drink* "It's been so long since I needed stuff this powerful.” The stranger does the same with the bottle that she's holding that she did with the other one, putting it down and sighing. As the bar is pretty much empty at this point she walks over to the bartender, saying "Keep a tab and you'll get payed before I leave.” The stranger stumbles to the house the group was in earlier and collapses on the floor.

The next morning, she wakes to a knock at the door. The stranger opens her eyes slightly with a groan, "What? What do you need?" A distinctly male voice, not from last night, answers "You said we had to come here if we ate any of Gregor’s trail mix?” "Alright, let me have a look at you". The stranger grabs her little machine and runs it up and down the man. "Huh, that’s odd.” she says as she takes the mans hands and turns them over pushing up the sleeves. Not finding what she’s looking for, she proceeds to check the mans eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Disgruntled she asks, "How much trail mix did you eat?” "I got a berry and four nuts." he answers uncertainly. "Oh, well that’s not enough to corrupt, you're fine. But if there are people who were not at the bar last night, who ate the trail mix tell them I need to see them right away, OK?" “OK.". The stranger grumbles to herself "I should get to the bar too, and let the Outrider know it's not as bad as it seems.”

The stranger walks into the bar. There's a certain air that wasn't there before, a worried air. Glancing around the stranger sees the guardian and mutters, "If anyone knows what’s going on she will. Hey guardian, what’s wrong? Where’s the boy?" “That’s the problem, he's not well and you said it would be a day or two, but now I'm worried.". The stranger stiffens "What did you do?” "Like I said I was worried so I ran a charge through him and-" the Guardian states. "You did what?" the stranger asks panicked "I ran a guidance through him just to see if I could help." the guardian says defensively. "How long ago?" the stranger frantically asks. "Maybe three hours." the guardian bites her lip "Didn't I say no magic? Do you want him to die?" cutting off the guardian the stranger composes herself slightly and with venom and continues "Where is he?" "He's just in the other room" advises the Guardian. The stranger takes off, yelling back to the guardian "You're going to stand guard and if any corrupted come looking for me you’re to tell them I'll be through in a little while!”

The stranger opens the door to see the boy so full of vigor the day before laying so still and pale. It was a wonder he was still alive. Reaching for her machine she muttered "Come on, dammit, don't you die on me.” Sweeping the machine twice over him to get a better reading she looks at the screen "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Where once the screen just showed a small if very bright green splotch in his stomach it now showed him completely green from just below the neck. "Dammit." the stranger muttered holding her hands over the boy she recites an incantation and checks with the machine again. "Oh, come on!" she pleads. The green had very distinctly moved to his head. Placing her left middle finger on the boys’ forehead she mutters a different incantation and checks again, only to yell to the guardian outside the room "Get the Outrider, quickly!"

A few minutes later the Outrider is thrown almost bodily into the room "But I'm not magic." he whines seeing the boy on the bed. "Dammit, you're magic enough for this, just hold your hands over his body and repeat this incantation.". The stranger says it to the Outrider who repeats it near perfectly. "Good enough, just remember how the glaive feels in your hands, if you've been to the glaive dimension before go there now! Just concentrate!” she demands. After two or three hours of the two of them chanting and every so often the stranger sweeping over the boy on the bed with her strange machine, she finally puts a hand on the Outriders’ shoulder. "He'll be fine, go tell the guardian. I'm going to pack up here and if she doesn't mind, I'd like to have a drink with her and explain some things." The stranger states. “OK!" the Outrider giddily opens his eyes, jumps up and runs out of the room yelling "Ashe, hey Ashe he's going to be okay!” The stranger smiles to herself, looks around and starts to pick up her papers, putting them back in her bag and putting the little machine on top. Then heading out the door to see the Outrider in a group hug with everyone except the businessman. Sliding onto a barstool, the guardian slides onto the stool next to the strangers. They sit like that for a minute before the stranger says "Her usual and another two bottles of the stuff I’ve been drinking and put it on my tab." "You don't have to do that," the stranger looks sidelong at the guardian, who continues, "but thank you.”

"I feel I owe you an explanation," the stranger looks again at the guardian. The guardian just raises her eyebrows "You got thrown into a world you never expected, from a person you never expected. You should at least know what you're dealing with." Continued the stranger. “That would be greatly appreciated." the Guardian stated. The stranger smiles, the guardian smiles back. "We have until I finish four of these," the stranger holds up the bottle, "that should be enough time.” The guardian looks askance "most people never go past two." she whispers. "My drinking habits aside, you're probably wondering why your non-up to this point-magical friend just showed the biggest signs of magic aren't you?" The stranger says with a grin. "Yeah, yeah I was." the guardian smirks back. "It has to do with free will." *sip* "The tiefling has probably shared why his race was created," the guardian nods. "However what he might not have mentioned was what happened after." The guardians’ eyes go wide at this "There was an after?" "Of course, you don't think all tieflings are as nice as he is, do you?" the stranger continues. They glance over their shoulders at the tiefling who is still patting the Outriders head as the Outrider knits. "I guess I never thought about it" commented the Guardian *drink* "Well tieflings got out of hand, being the embodiment of devils and all, so they needed a sort of a hero who could make sure the scales stayed balanced" stated the stranger "Stay balanced?" asked the Guardian. "Yeah there are still good gods, aren't there? They aren't all power-hungry megalomaniacs?" asked the stranger rhetorically "I guess you're right" agreed the Guardian "So to stop the tieflings from destroying every god the world needed heroes." Said the stranger. "You said your governments created you" stated the guardian "I simply spoke out of turn. The first of us, just after the tieflings got out of hand, were created by certain organizations who wanted some gods around" said the stranger. "Oh" stated the guardian. The stranger explained, "Yeah, you see the magic, all three of you possess is completely different from one another." Explained the stranger. "What? I mean my healings worked on Markus and Gregor and Kyr before..." queried the confused guardian "The problem was you have more of a divine magic and this magic is based on free will alone." "There you go with that free will again" commented the guardian. "Well you three are on sort of a spectrum with the tiefling at one end and the Outrider at the other, the reason what he did went so wrong was that he forced free will magic onto someone." The stranger explained. The guardian asked, "shouldn't it have slid right off then?" "Didn’t you notice the way the boy acted after eating so much trail mix?" asked the stranger, genuinely curious. "Well we were all on edge and Kyr had a strange way of putting things before so..." the guardian explained defensively. "You thought nothing of it, I see" the stranger said, dryly. "It wasn't like that! Anyway you said we were on a spectrum?" the guardian asked. "Yeah, the thing is your tiefling has little to no free will. If he were to walk out of here tomorrow to try and prove me wrong he'd be back here or with another rag tag group of misfits in two months." Clarified the stranger. "Oh, Markus." Sighed the guardian, sadly. "No need to feel bad for him, in many ways knowing everything about your life can be quite a good thing." Said the stranger. "It can?" Replied the guardian "Yes. it’s been too long a day for me to come up with points just now but that just means I can meet you tomorrow for another drink." Says the stranger. "Oh well if you're paying, sure" jokes the guardian. The bartender snorts "Shut up Inien." 

The next morning there was another knock on the door of the house. The stranger knowing what to expect this time simply asks "Here about the trail mix?" A noise of affirmation is heard. "Alright just give me a minute." The stranger reaches for her machine as she gets up "Wait, where is it?" Worry thick in her voice. Rushing past the line of people at her door she half yells "Just give me a minute I have to find something!" Panicked she reaches the bar and dives under the stool she was at last night. "Where is it? Where is it?" A throat is cleared "Looking for this?" she whirls around looking at the voice. The tiefling has her machine in his hand. "Ah, yes thank you." she says relived and reaches for it. "Not so fast" The tiefling says moving it out of her reach. "You got your answers last night, now its our turn." Demanded the tiefling. "Dammit tiefling, I don't have time for this, as there is a line of people who need my help this morning. I need that machine to do my job! Look just give me the machine and when I come back to check on the boy, I'll tell you what you want to know, how's that?" The stranger explains hurriedly. The tiefling considers this and lowers the machine enough for the stranger to grab it and rush out again.

Back at the house the line has grown considerably "I'll take you one at a time!" states the stranger. The first armored man makes his way into the house after her. The examination happens much the same as the other morning, finding out that many got so little as to not worry themselves. When the last person is through the door, the stranger packs up and heads back to the bar.

Opening the bar door, she is greeted by the considering guardian, the disinterested businessman and the irritated tiefling. "Why exactly do you need to check Kyr out again? I thought you said he would be fine." Questions the tiefling. "The magic can be odd at times leading to a reoccurrence, even if you had left him alone, I would still have to check on him." The stranger explains. She makes her way to the room where the boy is sleeping. When she opens the door, the stranger is relieved by what she finds. Where the day before the boy had been flat on his back he was now on his side sleeping fitfully. The stranger runs her machine over him to get a reading. "Perfect, yup you'll be just fine" she mumbles to him standing up. Reaching the counter, she plunks into a stool and as she goes to ask for more bottles she is interrupted. "Not so fast, you said this morning that we would get answers" says the tiefling. "Markus! If she wants a drink she can have one." the guardian shushes the tiefling. "It’s alright," the stranger replies "he wants answers and he doesn't want them from a drunk. I understand, do you mind if we sit at one of the tables?"

When everyone is seated, the stranger asks, "So, what do you want to know? I can tell you as much as I'm allowed." This elicits an eyebrow raise from everyone at the table. The businessman drawls "fair enough.". The tiefling starts, "If you're so good at your job why do you need a machine?". "Simple, while you know we can find others like us over a long distance," she replies looking pointedly at the tiefling, "the corrupted are a different matter. All we are told is to find another of ourselves and that their focal point may have been used.". 

An imp in an afro wig wanders over and starts nattering. There is a look of pain on the strangers’ face "What does it want?". "Just our drink orders" smiles the tiefling. "I'll just take a water, thanks" the stranger mutters holding her head. "Are you OK?" the guardian looks over the stranger nervously. "Yeah, yeah call it an allergy to the eldritch." The stranger answers. "Will Gregor get it too?" the guardian asked. "If he hasn't shown signs of it before now he probably won't. Though tiefling, I'd keep your blasts aimed at the creatures you're fighting just to be safe." Advised the stranger. "I could heal that headache if you want?" asked the guardian. "Guardian that would be one of the most dangerous things you could do right now" the stranger says pointedly. The imp returns with the drinks. "Thank you Demitrius" the tiefling smiles almost infuriatingly. "Damn imps" the stranger spits the last word. "My imps are perfectly fine, thank you." the tiefling defends, anger in his voice. "Markus, they give her a headache." the guardian says trying to defuse the situation, "anyway you said you were sent?"

"Ah, now we're touching on a line of thinking I'm supposed to say very little about, but suffice it to say I work for a group whose job is to clean up corruption.". The Outriders’ eyes light up at this. The stranger takes note but mostly ignores it. "When Gregor changed, you were so unfazed, why?" asked the guardian. "Simple, when you've been in this business as long as I have you tend to see everything. Corrupted look pretty much the same anywhere you go, and you lose your sensitivity to it pretty quickly. The tiefling was new. Up to two nights ago, I'd only heard about his situation." Said the stranger. "How did you hear about Gregor?" asked the tiefling. "Again, to do with the higher ups." The stranger stated. "Why did you need your papers to turn Gregor and Kyr and yet you didn't when you fixed him?" asked the guardian. "Simple, when you have eleven incantations or 852 languages for turning which one would you rather memorize?" asked the stranger, rhetorically. "There are that many languages?" exclaimed the guardian, shocked. "Near enough, with a few created and destroyed every day." Clarified the stranger. "You keep saying it’s dangerous for me to heal you and Kyr, why?" reiterated the guardian. "Remember what I said about the different magic types?" says the stranger as the guardian nods, everyone else looks quizzically at her. "Well, when I'm on a job I need to be so full of free will magic that any other would have me at best approximating your friend on the bed. The magic types don't play nice with each other." The stranger explains taking a gulp of water, "though if you want to experiment, try electrifying one of his blasts." the stranger smiles to show her teeth. Everyone is a bit unnerved at the suggestion.

"In the clearing, you mentioned about Thog covering Kyrs ears and yet you only had me hold Markus like a hostage, what was that all about?" Questioned the guardian. "Mm quite an interesting line of knowledge there. Because the corup-, the boys word, was so close to the Outriders, just hearing part of it would cause him to change. I assumed you only wanted to deal with one beast at a time?" The guardian nods. The stranger continues, "the tiefling could change at any time no matter what word was said however if you force them to concentrate on not changing they won't" The tiefling had been nodding along much to the shock of everyone else.

"You seemed surprised at my age when you asked." Stated the tiefling. "Simple, there are many others who have been in the business longer than I have and have run into edge cases. However this was the first time I'd found anyone under the age of eight being inducted." The stranger explains.

"And the government thing?" Asked the guardian. "There are many governments who are starting up groups like mine and the Outriders..." the stranger starts only to be interrupted by the outrider. "What was yours called?" "Gregor." Warns the guardian. "Its fine, my group was Band of Brothers." The stranger soothes. "But you're a girl!" Interjects the outrider. "Gregor!" reprimands the guardian. "It was more of a brotherhood thing anyway." Clarifies the stranger. "Oh." Said the outrider. "I'm sure there were girls in your group Outrider." Said the stranger. "Ooh, like Ayrn!" said the outrider, excitedly. "Who?" ask the tiefling and guardian in unison. "She was my best friend from the Outriders. She had a blue cloak, long ginger hair and... why are you looking at me like that?" "Did you see her in Onhorant?" the guardian whispers. "Sort of, why?" queries the outrider. "Oh gods" says the guardian, hand on her head slumping onto the table, "She nearly cut me in half for standing in her way." States the guardian. The Outrider looks askance as the businessman speaks up "Was she around spirit junk, because I may have run into her too.". The guardian looks up. "She had taken to eating spirits and when she tried to attack our group while looking for survivors. I shot her and threw her in the river." The Outrider nods and smiles saying, "She'll be back." "Gregor." Starts the guardian, seriously. "No, the Outriders right." Confirms the stranger. The group minus the Outrider, look at the stranger startled.

"Do you not remember how I kept calling the Outriders trail mix his focal point?" The group nods. She continues. "It's because there are at least three within any group." Everyone except the Outrider have their mouths hanging open glancing from the stranger to the Outrider "Well there are edibles, which vary from group to group. The Outriders obviously preferred trail mix. Then there are wearables," the stranger looks to the Outrider for an example. None is provided. "And then there is what they do with spirits. It's a way for mass control really." "Mass control?" questioned the guardian. "Yeah at one time the Outriders would have been under the control of a group that for now let's just say they ‘hunted monsters’, well it was easier to sic a whole group of beasts much like you would dogs on a fox." Explained the stranger. The tiefling shudders at the image. She continues, "Yeah it wasn't pleasant." 

After some silence the businessman drawls "You mentioned an induction ceremony?" "ah yes, the brand or mark," she says coming to herself again and lowering her shirt to show the top of her brand "is simply to focus the energy and prevent the pain of a corrupted change. As long as the object of infliction is treated with the proper materials, the change is as painless as walking. If not all you've done is subject someone to an unnecessary amount of pain." The stranger takes another sip and continues "oh, Outrider do you remember how to prepare a brand?" "Yeah why?" asked the outrider. The stranger continues "Good that means that even if they lost the knowledge of why they were creating these creatures, they still knew enough not to create corrupteds." "I was the leaders apprentice!" the Outrider boasts. "Just as long as you don't use your knowledge everything should be fine." the stranger looks into her empty glass and asks "anymore questions?" everyone shakes their heads "good I'm going to go get some more of that stuff, Keer was it? It will be a long day tomorrow too." The stranger gets her four bottles and heads for the door. Once outside the Outrider waylays her. The stranger states "You showed interest in my profession, did you not Outrider?" "Um... I want to do what you do yeah" The Outrider looks confused. The stranger advised "Good. It’s dangerous but better to have more of us out there who know. Meet me tomorrow after I'm done with my lineup and before I get to the bar and I'll teach you what I can."

The next morning started the same way the other two had for the stranger, with the exception of no interruptions. There is however a feeling of being watched. As the last person leaves the house the stranger speaks up "I know you're out there, Outrider." A figure slinks from the trees. "Come on in then." Says the stranger. As the Outrider meanders into the house a quiet comes once more to the town. The stranger explains "Now the first thing you must learn is that we don't exist. We never have and nothing we have is real." The Outrider looks at the stranger confused. She continues "caution is good, invisibility better." "But we saw what you did." Says the outrider. "Only your little group. Beyond you few I will have shown up, given a warning and left. Do you think you can keep a very big secret?" the stranger askes. "I can try" the outrider affirms. "Good. That's all I can ask from you for now, I have to write my superiors and let them know we have a new kid." The stranger says half to the Outrider who responds. "You keep calling me Outrider why? I have a name you know it's-" "not important and very dangerous." says the stranger cutting him off. "So, what do I call you?" asked the outrider. "If you must get in contact with me I go by band of brothers, otherwise I'm her or the stranger." The stranger answers. “But-" "safer" she says cutting him off again "Why do you keep cutting me off like that?" "Because we have a lot of information to go through" the stranger finished writing on the paper and presses a small broach to it, the paper disappears and the broach remains.

The lesson continues until just before night-fall. The Outrider and stranger leave the house and head for the bar. Opening the door to the bar the Outrider gets peppered with questions from the guardian. "Ashe no. it's ok. No, Ashe I'm fine" etc. says the outrider. When the stranger comes back from examining the boy she simply raises her voice and says "Guardian buy you a drink?" The guardian not one to pass up free booze, slides over to her asking "what did Gregor do?" "Like the Outrider said everything is fine. He was just curious as to what I do is all and when I showed him it wasn't all that special he left. We just happened to arrive here at the same time is all." "Likely story" states the guardian. The stranger drinks, commenting "oh by the way if you were to come across an injured one of us not on a job, wait two days before healing them, hmm?" "Why?" asked the guardian "The magic needs that long to dissipate" the stranger stated. The two drink in companionable silence for the rest of the night.

The next day is much the same with checking and waiting for the Outrider. Once inside the stranger excitedly asks "Did you get it?" The Outrider pulls out two machines and questions "But why two?" The stranger explains, "Simple, one to find and one to heal." "They also sent me a stack of papers..." said the outrider "Good you better get to memorizing them" "All of them?" "Unless you're willing to drag the stack around with you. Here I'll help with pronunciations" offers the stranger. Time passes slowly for the Outrider.

Later that evening when the lessons are done and the boy is checked the stranger sits at the bar and says "Tonight’s my last night." The Outrider look depressed by this "but surely you haven't found everyone?" "Gregor, what?" askes the guardian. "The boy will be fine and the only ones missing are in Onhorant so that's where I'm heading next." the stranger says to no one in particular. "Markus Velafi's conga line for peace, you couldn't have picked a more obscure name?" she askes the tiefling who looks mildly upset and mutters "It's a perfectly good name.” The stranger continues "What I wouldn't give to have your obfuscation spell guardian."  
"One last drink?" The stranger orders five.

"Anyway, the Outrider is the embodiment of free will especially with his background, I mean he could have run to another village. He could have used his pitchfork to kill the owlbears, any number of things. Instead he chose to join the Outriders. Just a pity the reason they were created was long forgotten at that point." The stranger says halfway through her fifth Keer. "Long forgotten. Gregor said it was to hunt monsters." The guardian states. "That may have been what it turned into but not what it was originally for did you ever go to Kuravia?" asked the stranger. "Yeah, just recently actually, blood trees and weird things. Oh, and Vern’s from there" answered the guardian. "Necromancer?" asked the stranger. "How did you know?" queried the guardian. "Wild guess" said the stranger, offhandedly. "Oh." responded the guardian. The stranger continues, "Well that’s what happens when tieflings are allowed to run wild, bands like the Outriders and mine were created to stop them." *Drink* "we were just to good at it" she finishes with a grimace. "What?" asked the guardian, askance. "You ever wonder why there are so few tieflings around if they can decimate an entire country?" asked the stranger. "It did seem odd" commented the guardian. "Well there was a magic created to stop tieflings. The Outrider and I are what came of it. So many tieflings were killed that it turned them into a rare species" stated the stranger with a frown. *Drink* "And of course once something gets on the rare species list it has to be protected right?" the stranger asked. "Something like that" said the guardian. "So to protect them they started killing off their predators. Hell even 100 years ago the Outrider and the tiefling would be sworn enemies." As the stranger said this everyone had stopped what they're doing and were glancing between the pair at the bar and the pair of Outrider and tiefling. "Is that why Gregor’s second family died?" asked the guardian. "Yeah poor kid just got caught in the cull. Hell it explains your tieflings situation too. Exotic pet." At this everyone’s jaw drops. "Ow Markus you're gripping too tight" comes a whine from the floor. The tiefling loosens his grip on the Outriders’ hair stands up and clenches his fist "That is enough! Stop it! Stop it right now!" yelled the tiefling. "Hit a little too close to home, hm? Ah well I must be off any way seeing to the Outriders’ mistake." the stranger says this smirking, pays the tab and makes for the door.


	3. Interlogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shift in tone. Break in challenge.

Kyr wakes up the next morning and heads into the main room of the bar. Noticing everyone up and no customers yet he asks "So where's the lady who healed me?" Markus answers curtly "Ashe is right here where she's always been" Kyr missing the point responds "No the other one, the stranger. The one who showed Gregor what he is?" Markus's face tightens and his fists clench as he walks out the door. Kyr confused turns to Ashe and asks "What was that all about?" Ashe in her usual motherly way replies "It's a sensitive subject for him right now." 

Inien looks up from the glass she’s cleaning and says "She was a bitch." "Inien!" Ashe reprimands. "Well she kind of was, saying that to Markus" Inien mumbles. "She just didn't want us to really remember her" Gregor says disinterestedly. "What?" Ashe says turning to Gregor who is now fiddling with something. Kyr looks over and is immediately interested in what Gregor’s holding and asks "Is that her little machine?" The machine was gone from Gregor’s hands into his shirt so quickly Ashe wonders if it was there to start with.

"What did you have Gregor?" she asks him pointedly. "Nothing." he snaps back. "We're just curious" Ashe responds defensively. A letter pops into existence right in front of Gregor. He picks it up, opens it, reads it, slips it into his shirt and picks up his glaive all in one fluid motion. "What was that all about and where do you think you're going?" asks Ashe. "Not important and I'm just going to go practice my glaive work, I'll be back before we have a new job" Gregor says briskly. "Gregor, wait!" Ashe calls. The door has already closed behind him. "I don't understand anything that just happened" stated Kyr. "I don't understand it either Kyr" sighs Ashe sinking onto a barstool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot was changed from the first draft. The swearing was simply to make me feel better.


	4. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first job is alway the hardest.

A pink pig bat wanders to the bar muttering to herself. "It's been four days, why isn't he back yet? Ashe said he would be back soon!" As she passed the table with the strangely cold fire a man materialized out of thin air clutching a small object. Recognizing the man the pig bat rushes over yelling "Gregor! Gregor you're back!" The man realizing he is not alone tries to take a step forward and on the brink of consciousness says "Markus, I need" falling onto his face "Markus". The pig bat panics and runs into the bar yelling "Ashe, there's something wrong with Gregor!" Unconsciousness finally takes him.

When the man comes back to his senses somewhat a tiefling is sitting next to him. "A letter, I have to send a letter." The man mutters trying to get out of the bed. "Hey. whoa, easy," the tiefling soothes pushing the man back onto the bed "If Ashe hears I let you out of this bed she'll have my head, now who do you need to send letters to?" asked the tiefling. "My superiors" the man mutters slightly annoyed and trying to get up again. "Hey I can write the letter for you. What do you need it to say?" asks the tiefling worriedly pushing the man back onto the bed and then grabbing a piece of paper and a quill from his cloak and showing them to the man. The man visibly relaxes at the sight of them and starts to dictate. "Dear Sirs; I went to the user as requested and found the most disturbing sight. The user was not only creating corrupted people knowing full well what he was doing, but also ingesting them to gain power, leaving only a husk behind. I left and am now safe and wondering how to fix this. Please advise. signed The Outrider. Did you get all that?" "Yeah" mutters the tiefling, eyes wide. "Good now take a handful of my trail mix, don't eat it, and press it to the letter." The tiefling stares in shock as the letter disappears "It's gone." he murmurs in amazement. "Good, now we wait a bit and send another letter." Says the man. "To whom?" asks the tiefling. The man responds, "Band of brothers"

After 30 minutes the man says to the tiefling "That should be enough time. Are you ready to send another letter?" "Of course, Gregor" responds the tiefling. "Good, To Band of Brothers; As you may or may not have heard there is a user in XI582 who is willingly creating corrupted people. I believe he is a superior of ours on account of what he can do. He forced me to see nothing but the corrupted I had created every time I tried to attack him. As you know the only ones who know of what happened in the clearing are our superiors, yourself and my friends. As this user was none of the people I have met before I am forced to conclude that there may be an unscrupulous officer in, capitalize, THE ORGANIZATION. As you have been a member longer, I am wondering what news of this has reached your ears and what I should do about it. Thanks, in advance, signed The Outrider. Now do the same to this letter as you did to the last one. And if someone could get Markus that would be greatly appreciated."

During all of this the man has been fighting unconsciousness and shadows had been licking his body "Gregor, I am here." "M-Markus?" "Yes, Gregor I'm here what did you need from me specifically?" "He was too strong" a far away look enters the mans eyes. "I tried to fight him, really I did, but he overpowered me! With the power he's gained he took me down easily. I think he messed with my brand!" the mans voice fluctuates between regret and wails as he starts to tug on his shirt.

"If you were with me we could take him down together, but as it was I got bowled over." The man succeeds in taking off his shirt "I can't really see it, it hurts my eyes to look at, is it ok? Is my brand ok?" The tiefling looks at the mans chest with a look of both shock and dismay. Where once a monster was upside down and being sliced with a long weapon and action marks there is now only a whole monster looking even angrier. There are some pockmarks and the skin is very inflamed. "It's ah, different?" the tiefling says uncertainly "So that's what he does," the man on the bed says distractedly "He mentioned he had a magic I wasn't allowed to have yet." Then the panic returns to the man as a particularly large crest of shadow washes over him and grabbing for the tiefling near yells "you've got to come with me! We’ve got to stop him!" "All right, all right Gregor I'll come with you, but first we have to get you fixed up." says the tiefling drawing back and trying to soothe the man 

"Ashe can't help, augh, too dangerous, mmgh." the shadows continue their violent assault on the man. A voice quietly comes from the doorway "I think I can help with that." "Firi?" ask the tiefling and man in unison. The blonde woman with different coloured eyes makes her way over to the bed "If he said it was to dangerous for Ashe to help..." the blonde woman waves away and shushes the tiefling. She reaches the bed and puts both hands on the mans brand. There is a small glow and the man stops shaking, the shadows die down and the brand returns to normal. The tiefling with amazement clear on his face whispers "Thank you Firi". Between yawns the man gets out a muttered "Thanks" rolls over and sleeps.

The next morning the man wakes from the bed with no signs of the previous night’s struggle. There are two letters waiting for him as he gets out of bed. He opens the first. It is a letter from his superiors and reads "Dear Outrider; We regret to inform you that Band of Brothers was removed from our organization for insubordination. Any further attempt to contact her will result in your termination as well. You are advised to return to battle at once or face demerits. Thank you for your time, The Organization." The second is from Band of Brothers saying "To the Outrider; You are right about him being a superior. The Organization is watching but I will tell you what I can. This user has been creating corrupted people for months now. With his position in The Organization it mostly went unnoticed, however by the time it was reported he had blinded the rest of The Organization to his will. Those who send out new recruits to jobs have been sending them to him as fodder. There is one in The Organization who has the power to stop this...another letter has arrived. Don't worry about me. Just be careful! Band of Broth..." the rest of the page fades off into obscurity.

Opening the door from the bedroom to the bar and tucking the letters away the man finds the tiefling and taps him on the shoulder whispering "If you're coming we need to go now". As the two make their way to the door the guardian, the boy, the businessman and the blonde woman stop them. "And just where do you two think you're going?" the guardian asks motherly. "Out" snaps the man. "Oh no you're not, not in your condition" the guardian retorts. "Actually he should be fine" says the blonde woman next to her, airily. "Firi, he was dragged in here half dead last night. He's in no condition to go anywhere." Insists the guardian. "I know, I fixed him" she says to the guardian rounding on the pair of the man and tiefling "And that's why I should go with you." The tiefling whispers in the mans ear 

"Actually Firi has a point, maybe she should come with us." The man sighs "Alright her and no one else." Facing the group of four "Firi you can come, it's too dangerous for anyone else." "Really, Gregor?" the businessman raises an eyebrow. "Yeah if this is an adventure, I'm not getting left behind again!" the boy pipes up "Guys, trust us it's too dangerous. You wouldn't know how to avoid getting turned." the man says sadly. "Is this more spirit junk? Like Onhorant?" the businessman drawls. "More dangerous, but along those lines" says the man. At this the businessman and boy look thoughtful "Maybe we should stay here" the boy says. "I'm still going, you still need me" the guardian says angrily arms crossed. "Ashe, please. Just stay here, we'll be ok." Says the man. "You’ve said that before and ended up in worse shape because of it!" reminds the guardian. "If we could keep you safe, maybe, but as it is its too dangerous" the man remarked. "I can defend myself!" stressed the guardian. "Not from this you can't, Thog, Kyr you're in charge of making Ashe stay here. Markus, Firi come on we've got to go now."

The man, tiefling and blonde woman head out the door. As they get outside the man starts fiddling with a small compass-like device and says "Alright everyone who's coming touch the compass." The businessman and the boy are sweating trying to restrain the guardian. As the three around the compass start to disappear the guardian shouts "Markus? Gregor! FIRI!" with more desperation in each name. When the three around the compass are completely gone the guardian turns her head to the businessman’s shoulder and mutters "dammit".

The man, the tiefling and the blonde-haired woman rematerialize in a clearing. In front of them is a very odd sight. A man surrounded by shadows with a very dangerous look on his face watches an extremely scared small fat man. Faster than the group can blink the dangerous man throws something at the small confused fat man who catches the object and begins to change. A shadow erupts from the small man who begins to scream. The dangerous mans shadow gains a muzzle and rushing the screaming fat man and swallowing the fat mans shadow cutting off the screaming. A blank expression comes over the small mans face and he wanders off. "That’s what we're fighting?" the tiefling shocked whispers. The man can only nod. A small frown comes over the blonde woman’s face.

As the dangerous man opens his eyes and appraises the new comers he gains a smug smirk "Hello again Outrider, ready for round two?" "Wow! does this guy remind you of Xin or what?" the tiefling says "Oh I'm much more dangerous than that half-baked god will ever be." the dangerous man says smugly "Wait, you know Xin?" the tiefling says taken aback. "I know of him, yes." the dangerous mans face turns from smug to an evil grin. "Anyway as fun as this is I should get rid of the cannon fodder." the dangerous man shouts two very familiar words and the Outrider and tiefling start changing. While the tiefling’s shadow beast looks the same as it did in the clearing so long ago there is a change in the Outriders’ shadow beast. It has holes in one of its ears and keeps, what could only be described as a front paw, off the ground. The three beasts fight in the clearing, the tiefling’s hell-beast clearly swaying the tide of battle.

When the dangerous mans beast is pinned, the blonde woman steps out from behind a tree and calmly says a single word. The beasts disappear and are replaced with the dangerous man pinned by the Outriders’ glaive and a very angry tiefling. The blonde woman walks over to the trio and says "Outrider, Firewalker, thank you, I think I will take it from here." At the sound of the woman’s voice a look of pure panic washes over the dangerous mans face and he pleads "Fairy Friend. Wait. No, I can change! Please! I promise!" The blonde-haired woman simply leans down gripping the dangerous mans shoulder and says airily "Your services are no longer required." At this the dangerous mans shadow beast explodes out of his back and breaks into motes that scatter into the night, and the man himself collapses. The Outrider and tiefling stare between the formerly dangerous man and the Fairy Friend who is straightening her cape with an air of nonchalance. "What will happen to him now?" the Outrider asks. "Simple he will have his brand to remind him of what he had, but he will no longer have his magic" advised the blonde woman. "And the corrupted people?" asked the outrider "You will find everyone is more or less normal. Now if you don't mind I'm going back to the bar" says the blonde woman pulling out her own compass "See you there?"

When the Fairy Friend had disappeared from the clearing the Firewalker turned to the Outrider and asked "Why did she call us those names? She knows our real ones." The Outrider deadly serious replies "We're on a job. It's fine to use our real names when we're home or on a job with the businessman. Out here it's too dangerous. Who knows who might be listening." The Outrider finishes looking around worriedly "But I don't care who knows my name. I can take them on! I'm Mar-" At this the Outrider tackles the Firewalker and puts a hand over his mouth "Do you want to hurt the guardian, the businessman. The Boy! The Witch?" "But they're not here. How could I hurt them if they're not here? And anyway the boy? I can guess the others, but the boy?" questioned the tiefling. "Fine, former corrupted and someone could track them through us. They found me and you, didn't they?" "Oh, I guess you're right Greg-." "Shhh." "Sorry what do you want me to call you?" "Him, the man or the Outrider. Use the last one only to get in contact with me." The Firewalker shrugs "Fine whatever Outrider weren't we looking for corrupted people?" "Yeah we better get on with it then." The Outrider lets the Firewalker up and turns to the town brushing off his shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took so long to write because of Firi. She's so awesome!


	5. Later at the bar

9 shrines adventure and dines are sitting at a table in their bar. Ashe and Thog are drinking heavily when a scroll pops into existence in the middle of the table. Everyone eyes it warily and Gregor starts to reach for it stopping only to look up at Firi for approval. Firi nods and Gregor picks it up and unrolls it. “This is for you!” He exclaims looking back up at Firi who nods for him to read the letter to the rest of the group. “Dear Fairy Friend, thank you for the promotion and sorry you were needed for this case. Signed Band of Brothers.” Thog turns to Firi and with a frown and slightly narrowed eyes asks “Just who are you?” “Thog!” reprimands Ashe. “Fine, just how powerful are you?” Thog asks. Firi just smiles. Another scroll pops into existence in front of Gregor who opens and unrolls it quickly. He frowns and rerolls the scroll. Picking up his water glass says “It can wait until tomorrow.”


End file.
